The State Should Take No Part in Employment Relations, Leaving It Essay

The State Should Take No Part in Employment Relations, Leaving It Entirely to Employers and Their Employees - Essay Example It is understandable that there are certain laws that have helped the workers in ensuring a stable income and has provided job security also. On the other hand, there are issues regarding the coalition’s perspective because it is believed that it is important to create legislation for supporting the success of businesses (Accel Team 2007). Therefore, the aspect from both the sides will be evaluated in context with the interference of the state in the employment relations. During the past two decades, the reform of employment relations has been considered as very significant to political and economic debate. In late 1980s, the process of enterprise bargaining was introduced by Hawke Labor government, with the support of union government, in order to decentralize the employments relations system. This paper will also analyze the modern workplace of Australia regarding employment relations. Arguments in favor of the state intervention It has been observed that the role of governm ent on the employment relations is very significant as it helps in setting up a legal framework that industrial relations operate. A proper legislation helps in identifying the requirements of both employees and employers, because the fact is that the employees and the employers both want to benefit from each other as they are reliant on each other. This states that it is necessary to recognize the equal bargaining power of the workers and the employers. The laws of employment relations should be appropriately implemented addressing any imbalance of power and both groups should be given equal degree of control. Proper legislation on the employment relations should allow a mixture of both collective and individual bargaining, as well as it should also support in facilitating employee participation in the regular decisions taken at the workplace. The state provides a structure and framework for employment relationship, which is formally controlled by the legislation to secure good emp loyment relations (Combet 2005). Australian modern workplace The main debate regarding the industrial relations in Australia is to organize and manage the labor practices. On the other hand, there is a difference in opinion of both the current government and the opposition in relation with the present industrial relations laws, and the main issues are concerned with the use of the third parties or unions, individualist and collectivist frames of reference and individual vs. collective bargaining. The proper employment relation laws are to protect minimum wage, outlaw discrimination, prevent the abuse of power by either party, and determine minimum standards of safety, health, hygiene, and minimum employment conditions (Bailyn and Fletcher 2002). In order to determine pay and other key conditions of the employment, government has used legislation to establish industrial tribunals tasked with the role in the past. The state has also played a key role in preventing and settling industr ial disputes. In the earlier times, the center of attention was on collective bargaining through unions and employers, in the region of minimum wages and conditions laid down by the tribunal. This model was created on the whole purpose and did not acquaint with the individual requirements of both employees and employers. But, presently, the legislation has altered to try and support better flexibility among workers and managers (Crosby 2002). If it is analyzed from both the